Apparatus for applying a layer of material to fabrics and the like



W. BINNS Jan. 7, 1941.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A LAYER 0F MATERIAL TO FABRICS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 10, 1939 I5 Sheets-Sheet l Jan.7, 1941. w Ns Y 32,227,530

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A LAYER OF MATERIAL TO FABRICS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 10, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 a MAXI. ul 27 /0 2 Jan. 7, 1941. w BINNS 2,227,530

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A LAYER OF MATERIAL T0 FABRICS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 10, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Maw M;

remains. 7, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A LAYER F MATERIAL TO FABRICS AND THE LIKE Application February 10, 1939, Serial No. 255,791 In Great Britain February 15, 1938 6 Claim.

This invention relates to apparatus for applying a layer of material to fabrics and the like. 7

The apparatus of the invention can be used for applying a layer of material to either or both sides of any type of fabric but is particularly intended for use with fabrics which are uneven in thickness owing to their having a design or for some other reason as in the case of imitation pelts where the pile or hair is of uneven lay. .In the cases of such fabrics it is not possible to produce an even coating layer by the use of a doctor blade or messer with support of the fabric from underneath. In any endeavour to dispense with such support, however, by merely tensioning the fabric, difliculty is met with in that the fabric tends to present irregular ridges to the doctor whereby considerable unevenness in the coating results.

By the application of the apparatus of the inventlon the above difliculties are avoided and a very even coating on the most irregular fabrics can be achieved.

. In traversing the apparatus according to the present invention the fabric or other sheet material is tensioned at the edges, and in front of 5 the doctor or like spreading device it is caused to pass over a curved surface whereby additional tension is imparted thereto which tends to increase towards the centre of the fabric. The fabric approaching the doctor or like device thus has a cross section or crescent shape. Imimmediately in front of the doctor or like device and rigidly attached thereto and extending across the approaching fabric is a series of shoes for aligning the fabric to the spreading device. The dope to be applied can pass around and close behind the shoes so that it is uniformly applied as the fabric passes under the spreader. In this manner an even coating of dope can be applied to the back of a fabric or like material, although the surface thereof may be very irregular as in the case of an imitation pelt. Even joints in the material do not impair the operation.

Two preferred forms of the apparatus are shown in the accompanying drawings as applied to the coating of imitation fur fabrics with a cking of microporous rubber. In the drawtags- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic layout of the whole machine:

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the messer or doctor, and tensioning means;

Figure 3 is a plan view of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse section looking from as the right of Figure 2;

' Figure 5 is a side elevationpartly broken away of a modification of the messer or doctor; and

Figure 6 is a partial plan view of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings a web I of imitation fur fabric is unwound from a roll (not shown), 5 and caught and moved forward with its underside uppermost by means of pins 2, carried by arms or gills 3, mounted on moving chains or belts 4, located one at each side of the fabric, so that the fabric is tensioned across its width. The 10 fabric web I is passed between upper and lower curved surfaces 5, 6, which apply additional tension to theweb, which tension tends to increase towards the centre of the fabric width to give the web a cross section of crescent shape as 15 clearly shown at I in Figure 4. The web then passes under a series of shoes I and a doctor 9. In front of these members I and 9 and between side plates I I, the coating material in foam form, e. g. a latex foam is fed on to the fabric from a hopper H, the doctor 9 serving to regulate the depth of the layer of the coating.

Beyond the doctor 9, the coated fabric passes under a hopper l2, from which powdered fibrous material drops on to the coating material, the :5 fibrous material giving the coating a pelt like appearance; the coated fabric then passes through an oven IS, in which water in the coating material is removed by evaporation, under another ll, from which a powdered substance such as talc 30 drops on to the fabric. Thereafter the web passes beneath rotating brushes it which press on to the foam and collapse it to a smaller depth without removing any of the solid matter of the foam. The coated web is finally heated in the looping 35 chamber It, in which the coating material is set, i. e. in the case of latex, is vulcanised.

The details of the apparatus with which this invention is mainly concerned are shown in Figures 2-4 and 5 and 6.

Referring to Figures 2-4, it will be seen that whilst the curved surface 5 is fixed, the curved surface 5 is mounted on a floating arm ll, so that the surface 5 rests on the web I and can apply an even pressure over the width of the fabric. 45 The curvature of the surfaces is suitably parabolic, but need not be very pronounced, so long as the tendency to form ridges in the fabric is safely avoided.

The shoes 8 stretch across the width of the web 50 as shown in Figure 3 and serve to prevent the fabric riding up against the edge of the doctor 8, the edge being preferably set, as shown, at an acute angle. The shoes must be close to the doctor so as to align the fabric to the doctor 1. e. to as a hold it at a predetermined distance from the operative edge of the doctor. For this purpose they are secured to the back of the doctor as shown in Figure 2.

The bases of the shoes 8 are tapered off in order that the coating material can pass around and close behind the shoes and form a uniform layer as it passes under the doctor, and avoid the formation of lines or gaps in the coating material.

Means are provided for adjusting the doctor and shoes vertically as well as for rocking them to adjust the fabric tension. Thus the doctor and shoes are supported by a channel section beam I! which is fixed at its ends to the side plates l8. Set screws 28 which secure the doctor and shoes to the beam enable these parts to be moved toward or away from the fabric. The side plates III are secured by arms 2| to a rotatable bar 22 supported from the frame of the machine, from which bar extends a counter balancing arm 23, the position of the weight 24 on which may be varied, so as to rock the side plates and therefore the doctor and shoes, and so effect a sensitive balance of the doctor and shoes.

In the modified form shown in Figures 5 and 6 the shoes 8 and doctor 8 are again fast with each other and are carried by a bracket 25 which encircles and is secured to a shaft 26. On the shaft 26 is a sleeve 21 integral with an arm 28, whose end carries a strap 29 which encircles an eccentric 38 mounted on a shaft 3|, the shaft being rotatably supported by brackets 32 fast with the machine frame. The shaft may be rotated by a handle 33, which is provided with a clamp 34 movable over a segmental guide plate 35. In this manner the handle may be clamped in any desired position.

Loosely mounted on the shaft 3| is an arm '38, having at one end the counter weight 24, and at the other being secured through a pin 31 and link 38 to the shaft 26. The axis of the pin 31 is in line with the points of contact of the shoes 8 with the fabric to be coated.

To adjust the depth of the layer of coating material which can pass beneath the doctor, the handle 33 is swung to the desired position, and there clamped by the clamp 34. This movement of the handle rotates the shaft 3|, and therefore moves the shaft 26 away from or toward the shaft 3|, this s aft 26 being caused to pivot about the pin 31 by reason of the link 38 which connects them and of the arm 36 which, unless the counterwelght 24 is moved, remains fixed.

Movement of the shaft 26 causes the doctor 9 and shoes 8 to rock about the points of contact of the shoes 8 with the fabricsince this point is in line with the axis of the pin 31 and thus vary the distance of the operative edge of the doctor from the fabric.

To vary the setting of the doctor without rotating the handle, the length of the arm 28 may be varied by suitable means such as the screwed adjusting device 38.

The arm 36 may if desired be fixed to the frame of the machine and the counterweight 24 omitted, since the distance of the pin 31 from the shaft 3| being once determined need seldom be varied.

in this construction the side plates l may be fixed or may fioat, the plates being connected to arms 40 mounted on the shaft 3|. To enable their position relative to the fabric to be adjusted, the plates are secured to the arms 40' by bolts 4| one of which rides in an elongated slot 42 one in each arm 48.

It will be appreciated that the adjustments of the apparatus shown in Figures and 6 can be effected without stopping the coating process, even when coating various types of fabrics which have been fastened or stitched together.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for applying a, coating to sheet material comprising means for moving the material, a spreader at one side of the material, spacing elements secured to the spreader and contacting with said side of the material in front of the spreader, and means for rocking the spreader and spacing elements about the points of contact of the elements with the material.

2. Apparatus for applying a coating to a moving sheet of material, which comprises in combination, a spreader adjacent one side of the material, and a plurality of spacing shoes ex-.

tending across the material which contact with the material in front of and closely adjacent the spreader for maintaining the material at a determined distance from the spreader.

3. Apparatus for applying a coating to a mov-v ing sheet of material, which comprises in combination, a spreader adjacent one side of the material, a plurality of narrow spacing elements extending across the material, and connected to the spreader at the front thereof, and means for; varying the distance of the spreader from the material.

4. Apparatus for applying a coating to a moving sheet of material comprising a spreader, spacing means located in the path of the material passing on its way to the spreader and including feet contacting the material, said spacing means maintaining a determined gap between the material and the spreader, a counterbalanced arm supporting the spreader and spacing means, and;

means for rocking the spreader and spacing means relative to the counterbalanced arm and about the spacing feet as an axis.

5. Apparatus for applying a coating to a moving sheet of material comprising a spreader, spacing means secured to and in front of said spreader and contacting with the material, a shaft supporting said spreader and spacing means, an arm connected at one end to the shaft and at the other fixed in line with points of contact between the spacing means and material, a second arm connected to the shaft, aneccentric cooperating with said second arm, and means for moving the eccentric to rock the shaft about the fixed end of the first arm.

6. Apparatus for applying a coating to a movspacing elements about the points of contact of the elements with the fabric.

WILLIAM BINNS. 

